This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

BAGHDAD—Iraq’s embattled prime minister vowed Friday to fight until the Islamic militants who have overrun much of the country are defeated, suggesting he won’t step down despite pressure for him to do so.

Framing the debate over his future in democratic terms, Nouri al-Maliki sought to remind Iraqis — including his political rivals — that voters handed his State of Law bloc the most seats in parliament in April elections, and that he must “stand by them during this crisis that Iraq is passing through.” His bloc won the most seats but failed to gain a majority, meaning he needs allies in order to form a government.

The Sunni insurgent blitz that began early last month and swept across much of northern and western Iraq has been fuelled in part by grievances among the country’s Sunni Muslim minority with al-Maliki and his Shiite-led government. Al-Maliki, who has held the post since 2006, is being pressed to step aside, with even some of his former allies blaming his failure to promote reconciliation for fuelling Sunni support for the insurgency.

Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has even pressed lawmakers to quickly form a new government that can confront the militant threat and unite the country. Lawmakers failed in their first session of parliament on Tuesday to make any progress.

On Friday, al-Sistani lamented the inability of political leaders to quickly agree on a new prime minister, describing it as “a regrettable failure” and urging them to redouble their efforts to form a new government that can lift the country out of its crisis, a cleric who represents him told worshippers in a Friday sermon in the holy city of Karbala.

Article Continued Below

But al-Maliki’s statement issued Friday suggested that he intended to fight any attempt to find a replacement for him, and he vowed to remain until the insurgents are defeated.

“Pulling out of the battlefield while facing terrorist organizations that are against Islam and humanity would show weakness instead of carrying out my legitimate, national and moral responsibility,” al-Maliki said. “I have vowed to God that I will continue to fight by the side of our armed forces and volunteers until we defeat the enemies of Iraq and its people.”

Also Friday, more than 40 Indian nurses who were trapped in territory captured by Islamic militants crossed into Iraq’s largely autonomous Kurdish region Friday and will be under the protection of local security forces until flying home later in the day, authorities said.

The nurses had been stranded for more than a week at a hospital in the Iraqi city of Tikrit, which Sunni militants, including fighters from the Islamic State extremist group, captured last month.

It remained unclear whether the nurses had been held by the extremist group or were just stranded in their territory. Neither Indian nor Iraqi officials have offered details.

On Thursday, the Islamic State group released 32 Turkish who were captured in Mosul. The group still holds nearly 50 people who were seized at the Turkish consulate in the city last month.

Also Friday, Iraqi government troops captured the village of Awja — the birthplace of former dictator Saddam Hussein — south of Tikrit, military spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said.

The push through Awja is part of an ongoing military offensive that ultimately aims to retake Tikrit.

North of the city, government airstrikes targeted Islamic militants trying to capture the country’s largest oil refinery, reportedly killing as many as 30 insurgents, authorities said.

Fighters from the Islamic State group have been trying for weeks to capture the Beiji facility, located some 250 kilometres north of Baghdad. The group appeared on the verge of taking the refinery last month, but military troops managed to hold on and have since received reinforcements to help bolster their defences.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com